1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a window cover apparatus for the top window in a motor vehicle and more particularly to a relatively thin pillow-like insulated window insert adapted to be removably inserted in the top window opening of a motor vehicle and clampably retained therein by closing and locking the top window thereon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Until the last decade, there were substantially no glass windows in the tops or roofs of automobiles, trucks, vans, buses and other motor vehicles, and therefore no problem with sunlight and heat entering the vehicle interior through the top window to render the interior or cabin uncomfortable, to cause a substantial decrease in the efficiency of the air conditioner, and a corresponding increase in the cost of fuel to operate the motor vehicle.
Once the top or roof windows were introduced, such as the T-top pair of top windows of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and other top windows such as moon roofs, sun roofs, and the like, sunlight and heat became a major problem. When the windows are opened to admit air to the interior of the motor vehicle, there are no substantial problems, but when the windows are closed and locked, the sunlight impinging on the top window enters the interior of the motor vehicle and is often reflected off of internal surfaces to partially blind the operator of the vehicle. Furthermore, the heat entering the top glass window into the interior of the vehicle renders the interior or cabin somewhat uncomfortable, often to the point of causing a burning sensations about the operator's head, neck, shoulders, arms and the like or even causing lightheadedness or sunstroke.
If an air conditioner is used to combat this problem, the incoming heat will rapidly warm the cool air conditioned air making it uncomfortable and thereby lowering the efficiency of the air conditioner or requiring too great an increase in fuel consumption to warrant eliminating the problem in this manner. Besides, this does nothing about the sunlight and glare problem.
Another solution suggested in the prior art was the use of tinted glass for the top windows. However, this distracts from a major use or purpose of the top windows. If the occupants of the cabin want to look out at the sky, clouds, stars, and the like, they have only a restricted or limited view through the tinted top windows under non-sunny conditions. Besides, tinted glass does not effectively stop a substantial percentage of the incident sunlight during sunny conditions and there is little or no heat absorption so that substantially all of the solar heat passes through the top glass window and enters the interior of the motor vehicle to cause the problems itemized above.
Other attempts to provide a window blind shade or a sliding piece of painted cardboard which can be pulled out of a slot in the roof or ceiling materials to a position under the top window to block out some desired portion of sunlight, offer a partial, but totally inadequate solution to the present problems. These methods produce only some degree of shade within the interior of the vehicle, only slightly more than that provided by the tinted glass windows discussed above, and they leave the major problem--the entry of solar heat into the vehicle interior, unaddressed.
Yet further, the use of such devices is unsightly, often requires modification to the vehicle interior, and generally produces a cheap look to top windows which were added at great expense to the owner of the motor vehicle. The pillow-like insulating window insert apparatus of the present invention solves substantially all of the problems and provides a relatively low cost, extremely simple means whereby a window insert apparatus can be removably positioned and clamped immediately below the top window of a motor vehicle so as to block or reflect substantially all incident sunlight, to absorb incoming heat while preventing escape of the cool air conditioned air from the interior, and while presenting only interior material which matches the fabric, color and texture of the interior of the vehicle for esthetic purposes.